STUDENTS’ FEAR OF MATH IS DRIVEN BY IRRELEVANCE & LACK OF ROLE MODELS
By Anbu Subramaniyan For years, I have volunteered at an elementary school across the road from where I work at the General Motors plant in Arlington, Texas. I’ve worked on school supply drives, read to students, and even taught a class through JA (Junior Achievement). It wasn’t until working in the school’s career day that I noticed a glaring and potentially serious gap in what students learned each day: relevance. During the career day, we asked them what they wanted to do as adults. One after another, the students said a waitress, or a nail salon artist, or a car mechanic, a position likely reflected by their personal experience through a family member. I heard very few students say “an
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engineer,” even though they live next door to one of the largest car production facilities in the country! Each day, more than 1,300 full-size SUVs roll off our production line and yet very few of these students considered that they could be part of designing and engineering these cars. At That Moment, I Realized Two Things First, my perceptions about American education were flawed. Second, I wanted to work with students and show them the skills, exposure, and background in math and science so they
The American Consortium for Equity in Education
